Over 190 countries, including the United States and China, gave themselves until 2015 to agree a new binding global climate treaty, aimed at reducing the greenhouse gasses blamed for global warming.

The current treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, expires in December 2012. The summit postponed a decision about extending the Kyoto accord to next year's climate conference in Qatar.

Kosciusko-Morizet told Le Figaro newspaper that the four texts agreed in Durban "not as ambitious as the European Union hoped for."

"But together they represent a real step forward," she said.

The agreement is the first encompassing all major powers, including the US, the only major industrialized country that did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, as well as emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil.

"That's what we've been trying to obtain for years," said Kosciusko-Morizet, for whom "the main opening came from China."

"It's a small movement (by China) but that made the US budge and also pulled India along."

Critics, such as Greenpeace, have complained the deal did not go far enough to avert the possibly catastrophic effects of climate change.

Kosciusko-Morizet agreed the deal fell short of the mark in some respects.

"The progress on how we will finance the Green (Climate) Fund is two slow. And in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the full amount (in commitments) isn't there," she said.